What I can’t understand is how the richest software company with the best people available to them cannot improve Windows, make it as good or even better than OS X?

Gates was a tough businessman. Not very creative and not even a good visionary but he was super smart in all his business dealings, guiding Microsoft to a worldwide leadership in software, perhaps only a little undeserved. That he will focus now on philanthropy bode well for humanity. Hencefoth, we shall stop comparing him with Steve Jobs… they are galaxies apart.